The Sales Performance for Apple iPad Air - Case Study Example

Marketing Part A The Apple Company had 98,000 employees in Apple will impact ways to enhance s values for purposes of having customers’ willingness to purchase the new product. The firm’s annual revenue in 2014 was US$ 182.795 billion. However, dispute the superior product features, critics identify flaws such as unfriendliness to use as a negative aspect of the product. The iPad Air is a sophisticated smart device and problems may come up requiring instant solutions and identification to fully eradicate the problems (Pride & Ferrell, 2010). The firm’s top competitors are Microsoft and Google. The focus illustrates aspects that affect operations of Apple and major competitors in the industry at national and international levels. Therefore, the factors are categorized as social, political, technological, and economic (Hiebing, Cooper & Wehrenberg, 2011). Many national jurisdictions are anchored on free trade policies that affect marketing approaches placed forth by Apple. The policies focus on eliminating existing tariff barriers among trading blocks. The approach allows for the reduction of tariffs to around 5% in the two-decade period while identifying the national and common preferential tariffs (Fabbi, 2011). The high prices from Apple iPad Air due to high production costs and minimal vendor efficiency poses possibility for local markets ruling on handheld devices. Apple’s prices will be comparatively cheaper within foreign manufacturers with respect to elements of protectionism. The protectionist policies have a fundamental scoping for the stagnating performance of Apple (Pride & Ferrell, 2010). The advancement of competitive contribution allows for broadening of technology within the growth and influential positions and performances of each company in the communications mobile industry. The important component includes embracing technology’s maturity and expanding manufacturing’s capacity and maturity. The concepts affect innovation processes in Apple Company. The technologies form the primary focus for the Internet as well as computer through development and innovation of increments potential (Hiebing, Cooper & Wehrenberg, 2011). Part B The introduction of Apple’s iPad Air, new smart device, will create anxiousness and expectations among members of the public. The trend will cause dramatic changes in the interests of people using phone conversations, visiting blogs and browsing websites discussing the hype. iPad Air from Apple will make the firm a prominent figure through its diverse technologies and design. The product lines include Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, iPad Mini, Apple TV, OS X, iLife, iWork, iOS and Apple Watch (Hiebing, Cooper & Wehrenberg, 2011). The launch of the Apple iPad Air is based on comprehensive forums of discussion for people in the tech-world. The underlying action plans will inform the solutions of 4Ps’ strategies and leading marketing mix components. Apple’s sales within American states are expected to increase annually due to the gradual development of economic prospects. This connects with global financial crisis that affects the local financial status in the nation. The governments of the countries are expected to have a profound expansion of the economy. The impacts are based on customers’ buying behavior. The economic policy broadens competition while influencing Apple’s performance. Growing global population allows for new markets realization in the mobile industry (Hiebing, Cooper & Wehrenberg, 2011). The existing ratios for ownership of hand-held devices stand at 1:5. The figure signifies that people are considering mobile devices to be important components of their respective lives. The firms settling on big-ticket items expect consumers to put on buying behavior for the new product. However, employment market uncertainties shift the balance of local and global crisis in financial capacities (Hugh, 2012). The increase of sales and promotions levels will be based on emphasizing for continued research and development to meet varying customers’ expectations. It is paramount that Apple broadens the impact of print and electronic media as well as on the internet for social media networks. This follows measures of outcomes for the marketing campaigns that take necessary corrective actions to improve effectiveness and efficiency of underlying campaigns (Hugh, 2012). Part C Consumer identification processes for Apple iPad Air focus on the significant causes of consumers seeking to develop varied brand knowledge and structures while differentiating perceptions of products or services. Apple has successfully identified the target market through its segmentation and realms of psychographic, demographic and behavioral factors (Hiebing, Cooper & Wehrenberg, 2011). The firm is using variables of behavioral, demographic, and geographical elements to segment the market. Behavioral segmentation approaches have focused on tech needs of clientele and subsequent reaction to the needs such as purchase of necessary services or products. Demographic segmentation of Apple regards comprehensive analysis for potential customers (Pride & Ferrell, 2010). Each industry continues to receive influence from macro-environment complexities. All organizations are influenced by the variables existing from without the firm. On the other hand, the levels to which the organizations embrace the diverse developments differ in a substantial way. The developments have the potential of influencing industry performance as compared to other internal operational factors (Hiebing, Cooper & Wehrenberg, 2011). It is critical that Apple identifies and anticipates macro-developments to inform the assessment of the potential impact to industry performance. The category of factors pertains to the level of difficulty or ease for new players and competitors to penetrate the tech market. In Apple’s industry, there are intense capital and tech licensing barriers hindering new participants from accessing investments necessary to thrive in the industry (Pride & Ferrell, 2010). The issues in this scope include concerns the ability of the customers to delve into the substitute products with cheaper and inaccessible techniques. The mobile communications industry enjoys a high growth in demand for flamboyant gadgets leading to a broad range options for customers. In the tech industry, the bargaining power of customers remains high due to the homogenous as well as broad similarities in products dividing the sales levels among larger competitor firms (Estelami, 2009). Suppliers in the industry have neutral power in controlling behavioral trends. The elements are based on the segments of dominant suppliers in industry popularity for brand quality and image. Competitive rivalry has a relation to rivalry intensity to the competition of the industry. The low operations costs are involved in switching between given brands intensify with gradual focus on the competition levels in the market. This also pushes players into a focus on the R&D and the innovation processes based on improving overall performance within the market. The levels of competition increase based on high exit barriers coupled with human resource for offered facilities (Estelami, 2009). Part D Marketing Strategies The extended range of quality and value for money will define the product and brand positioning for Apple iPad Air to an attractive level. Prosperity will be achieved through expanding the firm’s potential for all exports and relative potential. The sustainable and tangible levels of development in the international market allow for mainstays within Apple Company while expanding overall market share and sales in diverse export markets. Apple will be accumulating comprehensive markets with relevance in exploring emerging exploration markets (Hiebing, Cooper & Wehrenberg, 2011). Marketing goals for the firm include increasing market share for the new iPad Air in the globe through formulation of strategies aimed at assisting Apple gain its objective of profitability. Subsequent empowerment will be sourced from market sales and share of Apple iPad Air. The firm segments the market based on variables of demographic, geographical, and behavioral differences (Pride & Ferrell, 2010). One of the competences of developing communications gadgets is the customer satisfaction levels. Single-minded techniques are used in meeting updated technologies and scope of products for changing preferences, requirements, and needs of consumer behavior and steps used in the examination. Persona is a production philosophy that embodies right devices for appropriate markets within the right time to achieve the right price. People have made plenty of 100,000 reservations in product customization. The concept is followed by the discovery of new-mobile aspirations that become of internationally competitive manufacturer in the mobile phone industry (Estelami, 2009). The existence of the market segments allows Apple to focus its efforts towards global countries. Apple will release the new product within areas in which wireless networks are provided with a wide coverage. iPad Air supports various wireless network forms. Under the positioning elements, the firm will position Apple iPad Air through flexible, device convenient, and value added particulars for all forms of professional use. The firm is working towards establishing a strong brand in the global market in which its products focus towards the acquisition of new technologies. This means that the firm will shun from the brands while focusing on best techniques to promote Apple iPad Air (Pride & Ferrell, 2010). This is inclusive of a focus on distinct conveniences of single communication devices used in entertainment and Internet access (Hugh, 2012). Measures of Effectiveness The campaign takes a long-term approach in the four years period with measures taken to advance monitoring and evaluation of marketing activities. No. Promotion Mix Goal Measurement 1. advertising media (electronic and print) Annual surveys on the impact assessment will be conducted with the aim of identifying the effectiveness of the marketing campaigns. This will be based on necessary corrective actions and changes instilled to uphold overall campaigns. 2. Interactive and Internet Marketing Effectiveness is based on overall traffic amounts generated across websites during the campaign periods together with Apple iPad Air’s comments from users. Conclusion Each viable solution used in the mitigation of problems identified will include a focus on the introduction of additional value through improvised features and enhancement in the sales performance for Apple iPad Air. The major focus includes a strategic shift in energy efficiency, convenience, and safety together with an emphasis on environment-friendly provisions. The action plans are recommended on strategies of 4Ps’ in marketing together with existing marketing mix techniques. The issues are based on the increment of sales and promotions levels while awarding emphasis on increased R&D to meet the consumer needs’ changes. It is important to have the firm broaden its involvement in electronic and print media forms and its online prescience based on the distinct social media networks. References Estelami, H., (2009) Marketing Turnarounds: A Guide to Surviving Downturns and Rediscovering Growth. New York: Dog Ear Publishing. Fabbi, M., (2011) Feeding the Marketing Plan with Innovation and Responsibility. New York: GRIN Verlag. Hiebing, R., Cooper, S., Wehrenberg, S., (2011) The Successful Marketing Plan: How to Create Dynamic, Results Oriented Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. Hugh, D., (2012) Offensive Marketing. New York: Routledge. Pride, W. M., Ferrell, O. C. (2010). Marketing Express. New York: Cengage Learning. Read More